Collection - Medallion Collection

Title and statement of responsibility area

Title proper

Medallion Collection

General material designation

  • Object

Parallel title

Other title information

Title statements of responsibility

Title notes

Level of description

Collection

Reference code

Edition area

Edition statement

Edition statement of responsibility

Class of material specific details area

Statement of scale (cartographic)

Statement of projection (cartographic)

Statement of coordinates (cartographic)

Statement of scale (architectural)

Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)

Dates of creation area

Date(s)

  • 1879-2008 (Creation)
    Creator
    Canadian National Exhibition
    Place
    Toronto

Physical description area

Physical description

4 boxes of artifacts

Publisher's series area

Title proper of publisher's series

Parallel titles of publisher's series

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Statement of responsibility relating to publisher's series

Numbering within publisher's series

Note on publisher's series

Archival description area

Name of creator

(1879 - present)

Administrative history

Custodial history

Since its founding in 1879, the CNE has awarded medallions, usually made of gold, silver or bronze, to winners of the various agricultural, musical, artistic, sporting or other competitions. Visiting dignitaries, special guests and the official "opener" of the CNE each year, usually a Canadian or international figure of some prominence, were also presented with medallions.
The obverse of a CNE medallion generally contain a portrait of the person who officially opened that year's CNE, with the reverse depicting the year's theme or an anniversary being commemorated.
In the nineteenth century, CNE medals were produced by Elkington & Company of London, England. In the twentieth century, Toronto jewellers such as P.W. Ellis & Company, Ryrie Brothers and Birks Ltd. (in 1947, all three companies merged to form Birks), produced medallions for the CNE.
Many of the medallions in the collection were designed and engraved by renowned Canadian engravers, including:
Emanuel Hahn (1881 - 1957), engraver of CNE medals from 1923 to 1947. Hahn, an instructor at the Ontario College of Art for forty-one years, also designed the 1935 Canadian Silver Dollar, the 1937 Canadian twenty-five cent piece and the 1937 Canadian ten-cent piece (featuring the Bluenose schooner). Hahn is probably most famous for his statues of Sir Adam Beck on University Avenue and Ned Hanlan, Exhibition Place.
Stanley Hayman (1910 - 1975), who studied under Hahn at the Ontario College of Art, succeeded him as the official CNE medal engraver (1948 to 1974).

Source: CNE Archives, Medals Collection

The artifacts comprising the Medallion Collection were gathered together from multiple sources over a number of years, though the majority of them come from Norman Wells. The rest of the collection has come to the archives through smaller and single item accessions.
In all cases finding accession records of any kind is rare, resulting in provenance, research and organizational issues.
Specifics are given at the item level, when known.

Scope and content

The Medallion Collection consists of two series: Medallion Series and Souvenir Medallion Series. Within each series, medallions are further described at the item level

Notes area

Physical condition

Immediate source of acquisition

Arrangement

Language of material

    Script of material

      Location of originals

      Availability of other formats

      Restrictions on access

      Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication

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      Standard number

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      Control area

      Description record identifier

      Institution identifier

      Rules or conventions

      Status

      Level of detail

      Dates of creation, revision and deletion

      Language of description

        Script of description

          Sources

          Accession area